The Bloody Dream Never Ended
by monkan
Summary: [Epilogue to Upon A Bloody Dream] There is a shadow coming closer to Konoha, a melody is filling the air as he draws closer. Destroyed memories are revived and healed wounds are torn open once again. [full summary and more information inside]
1. Prologue

Author Note: Believe it if you want but this is actually an epilogue for Upon A Bloody Dream. Even if it was short, the story was still popular and I'm happy because of that. I was a little surprised when I read some of the review for the first story. Not that I wasn't happy to hear that you thought it was a cross over story but I didn't even have a single thought about it when I wrote it so I want to clear that up now; the golden eyed boy is my original character and so is everything about him. I kept him a mystery because that is how I see him, I myself don't know much about him yet but what I can share with you is that he's way older than he looks. This story takes up months after the first story ended.

Summary: There is a shadow coming closer to Konoha, a melody is filling the air as he draws closer. Destroyed memories are revived and healed wounds are torn open once again. Old hatred is revived and newfound bliss are forgotten. On the brink of insanity once again a battle between future and past starts. The frail pair of hands that hold onto each other are being pried apart by the unforgettable melody that killed them once before. The nightmare didn't end, it never will.

Pairing: None. Not romantically at least. I will have the same standards as the first story, don't argue against me and say you want a specific couple because you won't get what you want in this fiction.

Genre: Mystery, angst, dark, supernatural, shounen, tragedy and much more

Ranting: T, but I would like to say T+ since I feel better with that setting on this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

The Bloody Dream... Never Ended

Written by Monkan

Prologue

The wind was blowing rather strongly and the trees were doing their best to not break their branches. The sun was blocked by dark clouds that made it impossible for it to break through. No matter how it tried it would never be able to win over the clouds. It was a simple fact that any one just had to realize. There was always something that anyone couldn't defy. Just as fire and water were eternal enemies. The sun would never shine as long as the clouds were in the way.

Nature created it like this and it was the same with humans. There were something that they could never win over and it was something he knew all to well.

His hand touched the flute inside his coat as he walked down the path toward his next destiny. His golden eyes were dull and watched the ground before his feet's as he walked on and on without thinking about anything. Not worrying about anything.

A long way down the path where he came from laid bodies on the road. Dead to the world, dead to all living creatures. They had attacked him and he had had no choice but to kill them. It was either him or them and since they were so insignificant it wouldn't matter if they died or lived. This was the one thing humankind could never fight and it was death. No matter how long they lived death would always catch up to them. Sometimes it would claim someone young and bring tears to others, the pain that death brought with it was something else that couldn't be escaped. Humans were so weak to many things.

He sang the words to a familiar song under his breath. It had been a long time since he sang it for someone, he had gone to look for a new toy but found no one that could help him. Therefore no one had heard him sing ever since he left this village he was returning to. After what he thought would only be a fleeting interest had changed to something else.

Soon, someone would once again hear him sing. This familiar melody that only few could hear and was just as old as the earth all living creatures lived on. A song he had always sung a song he would never forget. This was the first thing he knew of and it would be the last thing he would hear.

Even if he had escaped death and would always escape it, it was only a small thing compare to what he would never be able to win over.

He stopped walking and looked up at the grey sky. It was going to rain!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Naruto sat in his room in the hospital. A tray with unfinished food stood on his bed and he seemed to had forgotten it. His innocent blue eyes looked outside as if he saw something no one else could.

A shadow stood behind him, an image identical of Naruto but no one else could see him. He also watched outside into the rain that fell over Konoha. His red eyes glowed in the dull light from the lamp and his muscles, if he had actually had had a body, was tense.

They could both hear it, a melody. They had never heard it before but for some reason it was a frightening but also a pleasant sound. Why? Because it had a sense of familiarity but it also felt like it held a dagger against their throats.

End Prologue

Author Note: All right, I've decided what to make out of this sequel. I took a small pause in the middle of this short prologue and gave it a little thought about how long I would make it. It will be the same as the first story, one short prologue, two long main chapters and one short epilogue. Just like the first story. But I've decided that I will make them into arches with this amount of chapters. Each telling a different but connecting story that will bind them together in the end. But please remember that it will be slow progress when I get to the main chapters and when I finish one arc I have no idea when the next one will begin. The reason I will continue "A Bloody Dream" is because I see possibility in it. Just the simple reason that I will write in short arches instead of a long chapter story will relieve me of stress since I can end the story after any arch I see fit. How long this will last depends on how big interest I pick up and how much I can write.


	2. Chapter 1

Author Note: I'm happy to present the first chapter of this epilogue. It took a long time to write since I want them to be really long. I can say that this chapter is a sort of beginning of this mysterious character that has caught your attention and interest. Since I've just finished this chapter it will take just as long, if not longer for chapter 2 to arrive. I don't have much else to say but for you to enjoy this chapter.

Summary: There is a shadow coming closer to Konoha, a melody is filling the air as he draws closer. Destroyed memories are revived and healed wounds are torn open once again. Old hatred is revived and newfound bliss is forgotten. On the brink of insanity once again a battle between future and past starts. The frail pair of hands that hold onto each other are being pried apart by the unforgettable melody that killed them once before. The nightmare didn't end, it never will.

Pairing: None. I will have the same standards as the first story, don't argue against me and say you want a specific couple because you won't get what you want in this fiction.

Read, Enjoy and Review. It's the same as I've always put it.

Genre: Mystery, angst, dark, supernatural, shounen, tragedy and much more

Ranting: T, but I would like to say T+ since I feel better with that setting on this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

translations: nee-chan affectionate form of sister.

The Bloody Dream... Never Ended  
Written by Monkan

Chapter 1

The sound of laughter filled the hospital garden. Under a tree sat Naruto with a group of people around him, they were all other patients in the hospital and after a long time they had finally dared to come close to him. First no one wanted to be near him because of the destruction he brought to Konoha and because of who he was.

Now it had been one and a half year since he was admitted to the hospital unconscious. He had only learned the basics of writing and reading but he was picking up speech at a much faster rate, still he was like a little child. The nurses liked him because he was nice and sweet, he held nothing of his old resentment or hate. All of his memories before where gone, nothing remained in his mind from before one and a half year ago.

Now he was well liked among everyone in the hospital, with a few exceptions. In some way it must be true when they say that hate never truly dies.

Naruto on the other way was ignorant to their hatred. He couldn't understand why they didn't like him.

They were laughing at something funny when he sensed the approach of someone else. He looked up and around and when he saw the pink haired girl heading his way he lifted his arm and waved happily at her. She wore a blue Chinese dress with white stripes on the edges and a few character sewed over her heart. They said; "To protect and cherish." Her short hair was cut even shorter than when she first cut of her long hair. It made her look more matured as it was longer in her neck than around her face.

"Sakura-san, good morning." his voice was cheerful and Sakura liked it better than the bitter one that dripped venom when it said her name. Even if it was that same voice and she knew the old Naruto would never return. She was happy because of it, she knew she was selfish because she wished this but she don't ever want to see Naruto fall into the world of anger and hatred. She didn't want to see that side of him again. She didn't want to lose her friend one more time. It was indeed selfish after what she had done to Naruto but she couldn't help it.

"Naruto, I have cookies for you." she said lightly.

Imagination ears could be spotted on Naruto's head when he heard that and he bounced from the ground and ran over to Sakura.

"Thank ya', Sakura-san. You are the best." and without much hesitation Naruto gave Sakura a big hug to show her how happy he was. There was no malice or anger when he saw her. There was no trace of the Naruto that couldn't even stand her existence.

She gave him the cookies and he danced back to the others where he shared with the others. She chatted with them a little but then she had to go on a mission. She took her farewell all too soon in the groups eyes but she pardoned herself and promised to come by with new yummy cookies for them.

As she walked away from them and their laughter grow more distant and the wind picked up around her, her expression changed into a serious one. Nothing was like it had been in the past.

"I will do what ever I can to protect this place. I won't let anything destroy him again."

No one was there to hear her words except for the wind and it was a silent oath she made with herself as she walked down the path that would lead her to the world outside the hospital.

Behind her, an imagination image of Naruto looked after her. He stood behind his double that was eating cookies with the others. His red eyes shifted from her to the opposite direction. They could hear it again, that melody.

-.-.-.-.-.-

**'If you really speak the truth...'**

He was getting closer to Konoha. In another hour he would be there. The trip had been boring and he was longing to have some fun. For three hours now he had been followed by spies. They weren't really a threat and they didn't get in his way so he had let them be. Or more precise, he let them live a little longer.

**'Back then...'**

He wasn't really the one to think about the past since there was no point in regretting what was already done. It was useless and it would change nothing.

**'If you were really speaking the truth...'**

His golden eyes shimmered in the light that was caste in them. There were a small wind and a few leafs landed before his feet's. He walked on them and they didn't make a sound. There were another strong wind and for the fraction of a second he disappeared before appearing again at the same spot and took the next step on the road just like any other wanderer.

**'...why didn't you...?'**

He began to mumble a light happy tone as he walked down the road. Behind him, in the bushes laid two corpses on the right side and on the top of a tree about 200 meters away was their comrade. Nailed to the tree by thin threads that were barely visible. Blood didn't pour out from his wounds and his left hand looked like he was supposed to be holding something.

The golden eyed boy threw something up in the air and then catches it.

'How boring!'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

No one in Konoha was aware of the storm that was approaching. At the same time the Hidden Sand's siblings were visiting Konoha as a part of their mission. All three of them had grown up more during the months that had passed. The most important note was that Gaara was the tallest among them.

While they were walking down the main street of Konoha, Gaara suddenly stopped and looked behind them at where they had come from.

"Something wrong?" Temari asked.

Gaara didn't say anything at first, "I thought I heard a melody!" he answered. "At least the one inside of me thought so."

Kankurou and Temari looked at each other slightly worriedly.

"Maybe you are just tired, Gaara." Kankurou said as an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Something's approaching. A storm." Gaara continued without thinking that by passers around them had stopped and was listening to what he was saying. "The red flowers will fall and chaos will spread one more time here."

Temari took a step closer to Gaara and to her surprise his eyes were glassed over just like he was in a trance but then he snapped out from it.

"What's wrong?" he asked his siblings.

They both shook their heads and said; Nothing.

How could they say that he was saying strange things, but at the same time it made them wonder what he meant by them.

They continued to walk down the street like nothing in particular had happened but Gaara glanced back toward the huge gate one last time. For a moment he had heard something and for that moment shadows had clouded his mind and he had lived through one of the worst childhood memories he had. If it wasn't because he held no feelings toward his past he would had surely lost control for a brief moment.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Onethousand fivehundrad twentythree, onethousand fivehundrad twentyfour, onethousand fivehoundrad twentyfive... onethousand fivehundrad twentysix... He was now counting his steps until he was there and he wasn't finding it very entertaining.

He could see the gates now and he was reaching for his flute inside his coat. It laid there, it's wooden surface was cold and smooth under his fingers. Soon it would play to it's enjoyment. He could feel alive once again.

A wind passed through his hair and he turned his face so it wouldn't fight against it, his hair that normally was hidden under the nape of his coat rose and floated in the air. Strands that reached his shoulder, when it laid down, in the light it changed from dark brown to light blond. It didn't stay in one colour but changed depended on the light.

Before everything began in his life to change, when he still had been an innocent little boy that knew nothing of the hardships of the world and the dark secrets of the people around him, he had been told his hair looked like a mirage. A beautiful illusion that was a rare treasure. That he should treasure it... now he found it nothing more than a burden and a curse.

It was ridiculous; he could no longer see the simple things that others could. Because they were just an existent to him, nothing more or nothing less.

And he was an existent that shouldn't be alive.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The sky was getting dark when the nurse came by and took out Naruto's unfinished lunch.

"Are you sick?" she asked in a worried voice. He had never been one to leave his lunch even remotely to untouched for the past years.

"My stomach hurts, nee-chan." he said as he held his stomach in a childish way.

"I will bring something for you to ease the pain, all right!" she said with a slight smile.

"Thank you, nee-chan."

Naruto sat with his legs folded under him and swayed back and forth.

"It's coming closer!" he said to his other half who sat beside him on the bed.

"I don't like it." the blond Naruto with red eyes said.

"Me neither." the timid Naruto took a hold of his twins hand.

"There's something I can't remember, something important. That's what I don't like."

"That melody gives me the creeps. I'm scared!"

Red eyes looked outside the window and his grip on his twin brother's hand started to tighten.

"I'm here," he said. "As long as I'm here you don't have to worry about anything."

Naruto smiled broadly in response. "Always stay with me!"

A knock on the door disturbed them and they both looked happy when Hinata and Akamaru stuck their heads in.

"Hi, Naruto. Wanna go out for a bit?" Kiba asked with a sly smirk.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_**"You are so beautiful. Just like a mirage!"**_

_**A hand reached out to run through a few strands of light brown hair. The girl was amazed at it's smoothness and laughed a little. Eyes followed her relaxed.**_

_**"Did you think over what I asked you yesterday?"**_

**_He nodded slightly and with a smile that made her relax._**

_**"So you give us your blessing." her face broke out in a big smile. "Thank you so much."**_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The guards looked at the pass and at the man who stood before him. The man had light blond hair and was about in his late twenties. He didn't carry any head protector that the guard could see. Without troubling the visitor any further he gave him his approval and let him inside Konoha.

The man took a step forward and after another he was inside the gates of Konoha. He walked on without looking back and the other guard watched after him and in the moment it took for the guard to blink the stranger was gone. There weren't so many people around at the moment so they should had still been able to see him. But he was nowhere in sight.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_**"You know you can always come to me if anything happens. Even if I get married that doesn't mean I won't still be your friend."**_

_**The mouth on a face that couldn't be seen smiled.**_

_**"Don't look so sad. It's not like it's the end of the world!"**_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

On the roof of the house that faced Konoha's the man watched as Naruto walked outside with the company of five other people and one animal. He grasped for something in his pocket and brought out a flute. At the same time he began to sing on a song in a husky voice. The weren't many words but the melody in it still remained and wasn't lost.

On the other side of Konoha where the sand siblings were at the moment. Gaara stood suddenly up and caused the chair he sat on to be thrown over. Both his siblings looked at him startled as well as every by passer.

"Gaara, what's wrong!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**_Fire was burning and it was getting closer. A boy laid in the grass, the wind was cold and enjoyable. Footsteps over grass that covered the dark soil beneath it made his ears perk up and he looked up and was shocked when he saw how towns people came, armed with various weapons and fire._**

**_His heart stopped dead in his chest when he saw something or rather someone carrying something that was stained by red. The red colour dripped and stained the woman's dress as she and the others came closer. He got up on his feet's and was about to ask what was going on when the girl he once knew screamed;_**

_**"You killed him!"**_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was getting nervous, it wasn't like anyone else but his twin brother could see him but there were something that made him nervous. He looked around to see what was affecting him so much. He wasn't a easily scared person but when something told him there was something wrong he didn't tend to ignore that feeling.

It was just then that his ears picked up the song they had been hearing for the past couple of days. His blue eyed twin looked around too, he had heard it too. Strangely it wasn't a song or languish that they recognized but somehow they understood the words.

_"Born from the darkness_

_Wander along the path where no flowers grows_

_In this world where you belong_

_You meet a person who ask you_

_Do you remember me?"_

Their hearts was beginning to beat faster and they looked around. The panic was coming fast and their breaths came in swallow gasps.

"What's wrong?" Kiba asked with Akamaru on his head. The others looked at Naruto as if he had grown a second head.

"Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" Kiba asked in a flat voice.

"That song! Can't you hear it?"

The others looked among themselves and listened carefully. "We don't hear anything, Naruto-kun." said Hinata.

Naruto began to panic when the song began to have a double meaning, he was hearing other words under those of the lyric.

_"It's time to go home/_The time to awaken from the sleep

_The sleeping one that carries a cross_/ Thy shall remember thy pain and sorrow

_There's nothing you wanna say/_Remember who you were

_The river will lead you there_/Break of the chains that restrains ones mind

_The sun will come_/Awaken now, my long lost friend"

All of a sudden another Naruto was appearing next to him. People around was beginning to worry of what was happening because they didn't know what was coming. The new Naruto held his hands against his ears and had his eyes shut tight just like his twin image.

At the other side of Konoha Gaara had a similar reaction only he was muttering something about the others getting away from him.

Memories, he was being attacked by his own memories. They tried to submit him under them. They wanted him to be reminded of his pain and sorrow. The other self inside of him was beginning to awaken and he was losing control over it. He could see it as well as feel it. The edge of his sanity that was coming closer for each second. It was right in front of him and he couldn't control himself from jumping over the edge.

It was a battle over his own will to resist and at the same moment he fell over the border he desperately had clanged to he knew deep down that he never had a chance to escape this in the first place.

The monster inside of him was roaring and when he opened his own mouth to scream it was overlapped by his demon. It was a roar that brought fear to Konoha.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was watching silently now, he knew that at any moment it would all begin again. Nothing could save this village this time. Unless that person came but that was highly unlikely since that person was already dead.

-.-.-.-.-.-

**The boy laid on the grass that was stained by his blood. He had been countless beaten and humiliated by those who attacked him. They accused him of something that he hadn't done and no one believed him. They called him names, hated him, feared him and cursed his existence.**

**What had his short life been about? Had it all been a lie? Had they never cared for him in the first place? Then what was his life for?**

**Blood flowed out from his wounds, the soft sound of the song of the earth echoed in his ears. It was trying to comfort him, but it couldn't rescue him. For he was just a being that lived on it, not a part of this earth that he loved so much.**

**They were standing over him again, but he didn't have the strength to run anymore.**

**The girl stood with tears flowing down her face. She held a big knife in her hand. "How could you do it? What had he ever done to you? You're not even human, you're a monster! You're the DEVIL!"**

**No matter how much it hurt, he didn't cry. It was strange, normally when someone is hurt they cry. Everyone cried for different reasons, the girl cursing him cried from something, then why didn't he cry? Why couldn't he cry?**

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The golden eyes didn't change as they could clearly see the scenes of his memories. He hadn't cried then and he still hadn't cried. But back then he hadn't known who he really was, now was different.

His hand rose with the flute and brought it to his lips.

Now he knew who he was.

Without giving the past any more thought he let the tones from the flute out clearly. The tones of memories and destruction.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Naruto screamed as he clutched his head and threw it back. His chakra was beginning to seep out and it was linked to his twin image. The Naruto who had just appeared just a few moments ago took a step back, lowered his hands and upped body before rising fast and let out a roar unlike that of a human being, but the roar of a beast. His eyes were wide open and they blazed deep red, more red than blood and fire. They had a life of their own.

Naruto's hair began to turn a deep colour of red. His teeth changed to a fang and his nails grew into claws. His chakra began to change colour from blue to red. The red chakra grew and the colour got brighter until it looked like fire.

Fear and panic broke out all around Naruto. Most of them ran away from there and others alerted the rest of Konoha. When more and more high ranking shinobis arrived at the place they stared in fear at what was happening. Mostly the same thing happened on the other side of Konoha where Gaara was.

Both of their abnormal chakra was going wild. They were losing their grip of their own consciousness'. They were abused by their memories of pain, sorrows, hatred, despise and anger.

Sand from below the street forced it's way up around Gaara and hovered in the air. It twisted and changed shape without time to spare.

The now identical twins were beginning to come around. The assault by his memories had calmed down. One of them began to fade away and turned into red chakra. It lay around Naruto and sank into his skin. The clothes just a little above his butt began to tear and rip as nine fox tails emerged, sweeping through the air and swayed behind him. Naruto's ears began to grow pointy and whiskers grew out on his cheeks.

The chakra calmed itself a little and became more controlled but its presence was clearer to everyone in Konoha. Everyone was reminded of what had happened a few years ago. When Konoha had faced its destruction. Those that were old enough to remember also knew that this was exactly just like that day, when Kyuubi had come. This was no different.

Kyuubi had returned.

To be Continued!

Author Note: Enough suspense for you? I actually didn't know how to end this chapter and I was in a hurry so I don't really know where this ending came from. I've finished planning the other archives on this story and I'm actually surprised with myself that I did that. I've never had such a plan before, I usually just go with the flow. In a way it's a good thing but I only have the basic plot and I need to devolve everything else, dialogue, situations, scenes and everything else. Send me feedbacks if you want me to hear how much you like this story.


	3. Chapter 2

Author Note: Hello everyone and thank you all for unwearyingly waiting for me to update, it's been some crazy months since my last update and thankfully, most of those things are over now. And I'm done with most things in school now so I really will get going once again into writing and updating often. I was planning to update earlier but my computer decided to go against me and along with one of the last homework I had "it" crashed. But I didn't lose anything of my important work or notes, I thank my wonderful teacher for that, but I am still trying to get everything in order once again. This will be the awakening from my "slumber" or if you want to say it; hiatus. To let you all know, I was planning on three more arches but they won't come. I've dropped them and maybe sometime in the future will I pick it up again but as it looks like now, it's highly unlikely. For now I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter as it took a long time to write and I had to think it through time and again to make it understandable, even if I think I failed in some parts at the end. Well, let your imagination make the conclusion for the missing parts.

Summary: There is a shadow coming closer to Konoha, a melody is filling the air as he draws closer. Destroyed memories are revived and healed wounds are torn open once again. Old hatred is revived and newfound bliss is forgotten. On the brink of insanity once again a battle between future and past starts. The frail pair of hands that hold onto each other are being pried apart by the unforgettable melody that killed them once before. The nightmare didn't end, it never will.

Pairing: None.

Genre: Mystery, angst, dark, supernatural, shounen, tragedy and some other, you name them for me if you want.

Ranting: T, but I would like to say T+ since I feel better with that setting on this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Read, Enjoy and Review, Please. Flamers will end up in the trash bin if they are to mean.

The Bloody Dream... Never Ended  
Written by Monkan

Chapter 2

"Where am I?" asked Naruto as he looked around the broad landscape. The scene would had been breath taking if it wasn't for a small fact. How did he get here? The grass swayed with the wind and it looked like waves, only they were green and not blue. In the sky were a twin star and the shadow the trees threw was long on the ground. How just a pair of twin stars could cast the same light as the sun was beyond him.

There was no sight of any living being in the area, neither a human nor animal. It was just him.

"Lovely isn't it!"

Naruto turned around to see who it was and was mighty surprised to see the boy with yellow eyes. He was leaning against a tree near him.

"Everything here feels so real and peaceful doesn't it."

The boy had a soft but childish voice as he spoke. But inside it was nothing of a child, just plain boredom.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

The boy nodded and pushed away from the tree and it faded away into nothingness.

"It feels good to know who you really are, doesn't it?" he asked curiously.

Stunned by the question, it was only then that Naruto realized that he remembered everything. Everything from his childhood to the betrayal and also the years he spent in the hospital. He could feel a shadow of darkness in his heart but it wasn't as strong as years earlier. It didn't control him in the same way.

"Who are you?"

It was only a fair question and Naruto thought he should know who his companion was.

The boy looked around and exclaimed, "Let's go find the others, they should have awaken by now." with that he turned around and walked in the direction that lead past Naruto and over the grass hills.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?"

He stopped and turned around, with a smile that sends chills down his spine.

"Akumi. Hanatsuya Akumi."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The once proud town of Konoha was in ruins. Most of the village had been destroyed and stood in flames. Two monsters stood among the ruins and attacked anyone that approached. Bodies of many hundred lay spread out over the village. Children, families, shinobis, old people, everyone was had been slaughtered in the first blast.

It had all been so easy, when both Kyuubi and the Sand monster was revived they had send out an enormous shockwave of chakra that levelled the area around them. Everything close to them was smashed into pieces in a matter of seconds. The great wall of Konoha had been brought down in parts. It was a futile struggle to fight back.

No one could now get close enough to the both human hosts that the demons had taken over. They no longer felt compassion or sorrow of the destruction and deaths around them. All they wanted was the pleasure the death of mankind brought them. It had been mankind that trapped them in their world in the first place. The result today was simply the truth of their own stupidity. What their hosts felt, they felt it too. They had been condemned to watch their hosts suffer while they could do nothing. In a simple way to put it; they shared the same life as their host.

A roar echoed through the burning atmosphere and the shadow of nine great tails slowly lay down on the ground as if to take a rest. On the other side of the village, sand moved and crushed everything in sight but it too had slowed down now.

But it didn't make a very big difference, the village had been destroyed. The air was filled with smoke and dust. The damage had been done and the blood of countless victims had been shed. There was nothing anyone could do to save them.

This was reality.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Do you know what the hardest thing in the world is?" Akumi asked as they walked in what looked like a long hall with large windows that let in light, but it didn't feel warm.

"No."

"To realize that you are alone. When no one is there to accept or know your accomplishments. When you sleep in an empty house where there used to live others. Did you know, when the one you love leaves you it's emptiness that fills your heart, just a different loneliness but it still hurts. When your favourite toy is thrown away because it's broken or old the child that ones played with it won't ever hold it again, that loneliness is something most people forget as they grow older and say that they are to old for toys. When animals or people die it's loneliness that fills our hearts because we don't want to be alone in the world. Human nature is so simple yet complicated because they call all their emotions by different things when there are only 3 emotions that they experience. One is happiness and with that comes love, friendship and everything close to it. The second is loneliness. The last one is hate and I mean jealousy, despise, anger, rage and everything along them is also just a single emotion. This is what the human mind builds it's emotions on Happiness, Loneliness and Hate."

"I don't get it. The mind is more complicated than that."

Akumi smiled slightly, "You will some time and I have on doubt of it."

"Do you always talk this much with someone you just meet?" Naruto asked as he had silently listened to Akumi's speech.

The golden eyed boy shrugged his shoulders and said with a small smile. "There's never anyone there to listen to me anymore. Since everyone forgot about me."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

But when Naruto looked at him he was struck with an impression that he wasn't listening anymore.

"Everyone leaves sooner or later."

Akumi's eyes had a far away glazed shine over them and he was sort of spacing out as the hall changed once again around them and they stood in a big room where someone sat.

In one of the old fashion chairs sat Gaara, his gourd wasn't on his back anymore and he looked up when he sensed their presence. Neither Naruto nor Gaara said anything as Akumi walked from the fox bearers side and over to the other.

"How are you feeling?"

Gaara just gave him a sour glare and Akumi smiled pleasantly at him. "I'm happy that you aren't hurt. Now that you both are awake you both should be brought to update." The light brown haired boy walked over to a table. It was thick and its leg wasn't that long but it would probably reach up to their hips if they stood by it. Akumi laid his hand on the surface and faced them.

"You've destroyed Konoha! The village is in ruins and about half of the villagers survived. You've both gone berserk and slaughtered everyone else without mercy. As you both may have suspected by now this is my world. You will not leave this place, not that your other selves have already done it but you won't be able to do it. If you try to do anything rash you may get killed, or I may kill you for trying. If I have a few more deaths on my hands won't make a difference. Just stay with us."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The few survivors of Konoha had gathered in the mountain where they could care for their injuries. The day had turned to dark night in a matter of seconds after the destruction, despite the sun sitting behind the dark smoke clouds it couldn't break through. The lack of sunlight made the air cold and misty. Somewhere among the crowd was the cry of people as they had lost family and friends, the number of deaths continued to rise even now.

As the first shock was setting down, small groups of people was beginning to talk about what they should do next. The beasts still roared in the village and they had no resources. There was suddenly an uprising noise of happy voices and through the crowd came Tsunade. Her arm was stained with blood that came from the obvious wound on her shoulder and she was limping lightly.

Her name was called by relieved villagers and she stopped in the middle. She looked around the crowd and took note of their status. Not long after that she began to talk to them. Words that had to be told. Words that they needed to hear. Words they had to hear and words her deep down needed to say herself.

Not far from her sat a boy in a dark blanket that made it hard to see if he was injured or not. No one was paying attention to him in particular and his golden eyes continued to watch everything around him.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The scene had changed once again and was at a beach that neither Gaara nor Naruto had seen before. The twin stars in the sky told them that it probably was a place that didn't exist in reality.

"Who are you?" asked Naruto.

"Why have you brought us here?" was Gaara's question.

Akumi didn't say anything to either of the questions. He just stood watching the sea. The twin stars wasn't as evident now as it had been and the sky was turning a purple colour with a hint of green. The sea was crystal clear and nothing lived in it. No fishes or plants, nothing. It was just the sand bottom and water, nothing more and nothing less.

The sand was soft and looked almost white. They could feel the warmth through their shoes and how ever they looked at it, it was real sand.

Slowly did Akumi open his lips but he didn't say anything for a moment, "Why does human hurt each other?"

"Because it's their nature to do so." answered Gaara without hesitation.

Akumi lowered his head a little and seemed to think about something. "Then why are beings like us born?"

As he asked a wind drew past them and neither of them had an answer to the question. The skies grow a little darker.

"If the world they live in are so painful why are we living with them. Why does they laugh, cry, love, hate if it's so painful? Why must we endure it?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

A conflict among the survivors broke out a few days after the destruction of Konoha. More blood was spilled but this time it was by the hand of humans. The demons had disappeared into the darkness and left the shattered world behind them. Human relations were tense and the conflict among them grew stronger and stronger until they had split up into groups that thought against each other.

The once proud village folks of Konoha were brought down to this was no one thought of nothing else but his or her own survival.

The hell among them grew with each day that passed and in no time, it all spread out through the land and began to infect other countries. The horrible reality was before the naked eye and no one could stop it. When people tried they were either accused of betrayal or killed on the spot. Trust was a thing they couldn't afford anymore. Gender and age didn't matter when it came to survival. Shelter and food was fought over.

The ground under their feet was now a deep red from all the spilled blood. The stench of death was overwhelming and could make most of the unprepared vomit. Starvation was spreading and some even ate the blood stained grass in order to survive.

They called the demons that had destroyed Konoha monsters. But in reality, they were the monsters now.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The three of them spend their time silently in each others company. Time had no meaning anymore; they felt neither hungry nor tired. From time to time, they would talk to each other or go to different landscapes.

Somewhere in Naruto's mind, there was a small voice that seemed to call him all the time. But sometimes it was to silent for him to hear it or other times Akumi interrupted him for listening to it. Akumi had said that unless they could give him what he wanted he wouldn't let them leave this place. But in both of their shattered minds, there wasn't a place they wanted to go. Somewhere along the way they began to wonder about insignificant things that had happened in their lives. They began to think about details and why things had gone the way it did.

Thoughts like; how long had they been here? How was everyone else doing? Was someone missing him?

They didn't exist anymore in their minds. At the moment, they were in the big room again with the weird table. Akumi lay half across it as his hand played across the surface. A few flowers laid on it at the top and slender fingers touched them now and then as to make sure they were still ok.

Just as suddenly as the flicker of noise in the back of Gaara's head appeared his mind was filled with thoughts of his siblings. But just as quickly they were gone. He looked around him in the environment and when his eyes came to land on the light brown haired boy his eyes had a slight sparkle in them.

"Who are you?"

Gaara didn't even realize his lips had moved until after he had said those words. Akumi stilled his motions and looked at the red head teenager. In Gaara's eyes, if only for a moment he could see an adult before him but the illusion was gone just as fast.

Those simple words had brought the same question into Naruto's mind and the flicker in the back of his head grew louder until he was sure he heard his own voice calling him. Deep red eyes flared up in his mind and an identical face framed them.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked along the same tone as his splitting image twin that appeared next to him.

Memories they both had forgotten was returning to them now. As one memory lead to another they became more and more aware of their past and tragedies. On the same time they relived them, they knew what would happen because they had lived through them once before so they refused to let them affect them. But wounds are hard to heel and even if they appeared mostly unaffected by the harsh memories there were still blood spilled from their emotional wounds.

Akumi took a step backward as the air in the room seemed to change from what it had been. A storm was drawing closer.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The hard world that was left after a war often left people with a thought that they already had been to hell and back again. And even if they hated and detested each other they felt that something was on the way.

A boy stood suddenly up and he stared into the sky. His dark hood fell back and revealed his face. A face no one recognized, golden eyes and dark brown hair. His face was very slender and compared to the others he was completely unsoiled.

The ground that hadn't seen sunlight for weeks now greeted the first rays of light. As if knowing where the boy was he was hit by a large selection of light and his hair started to change from dark brown to blond, an almost white color. As questions among the survivors from the long nightmare asked who he was his lips moved in silent conversations that they didn't hear.

Until...

"I am..." an almost evil smile broke out on his lips. "Akuma (Note: The Devil)."

As if on replay, the whole nightmare was rewind in everyone's mind. The pain and countless deaths that had happened were being erased and the dead came back. The environment changed until they were on a meadow, Naruto and Gaara and everyone before the hell began was there. Everyone except Naruto and Gaara returned to the now restored village, just moments before everything began. A black sphere floated in the air before sailing down toward the now adult version of Akumi. He opened his mouth until he swallowed the orb. With that, every last trace of the nightmare was gone; all that remained was the memories of it.

"You entertained me quite good." the adult version of Akumi said to Gaara and Naruto. His golden eyes and silvery hair reflected the light from the twin stars.

"Who are you?" asked Naruto once again in hope to get an answer.

"I am Hanatsuya Akumi. The child of Nightmares. I was born into this world just like you." He turned toward the table that appeared next to him. He put his hand to it as it turned upward and showed its content. The reality was that it was a coffin with a glass surface. Beneath the surface was a girl, no older than 17. She was holding the head of a boy, almost like you hold a lover. "They were like my family. I loved them both very much. They were getting married but someone killed him. I was accused of the murder since someone said they saw me leave his room right before he was found dead."

The voice of the girl rang out **_"You killed him, you devil!"_**

"That was my awakening and also my end. I didn't want to die so I unconsciously defended myself. Everyone in my village died and vanished without a trace. I was left in a sea of blood and a voice laughed in my head. It was then that I realized that I wasn't from this world. I was alone. It was also when my heart sealed these two this grave table that the human heart is very simple to understand. They love and hate each other. But it's only to prevent them from feeling the loneliness that really dwells in their hearts." He turned toward them.

"I have something to complete before I can go home and in order to survive I need something from your human hearts. Well, it's hard to explain in few words and since you will be the only two that will remember me I will leave you with a few parting words."

The coffin faded from view and into thin air. Naruto and Gaara found themselves in their respective place on either side of Konoha when life was going its own way and everyone was happy. They saw the child image of Akumi a few yards from them but his voice rang in their heads clear as day.

**_"I may be the Devils child and the child of Nightmares, but..." _**he faded from view himself now. "**_I chose not to create the nightmares of humans. I let them create their own."_**

Just as if nothing had happened did everything continue normally, nothing remained from the nightmare that had seemed to span over months of hatred, war and pain. A dream that could just as simple was reality as it had been a dream. Both of those two that remembered the event began to wonder, where had the nightmare really began?

As they went on with their normal lives as if nothing had happened they began to realize that they saw those around them in a different light.

_**"Humans are weak, but when faced with desperation they do desperate things!"**_

Who are the stronger and who are the weaker one? Those that remember their worst nightmares that involves others or those that forget them out of fear that they will realize their own true nature?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It's been 157 decades since I was born. I have seen those around me die and be born again. Despite of that, I don't believe in life. All I can see is the endless darkness that spans past each soul, ready to swallow it and consume it as it faces its end.

I hear things others can't, the earth everyone walks on is slowly crying out in agony. It's dieing and no one sees it.

I can hear the wind, telling me stories about how stupid humans are. They are mere fools that walks on a path they think are living. They can't see the whole picture like I do. If they did, they would also lose faith in tomorrow. Mistakes can't be undone, no matter how stupid they were. What's done is done and can't been cut of from reality. They can escape from it but in a matter of time it will catch them too. They are ignorant fools that don't know anything. The world is much bigger than they can comprehend.

If anyone would ask me what I believe in after death I wouldn't answer them. Because I know the truth and it would only hurt them more. I will walk among them, until I find what I'm looking for. I will continue to watch the nightmares of the living.

For what I see is the true face of death. I stare in his face every day and I'm the only one that isn't allowed to go with him. That's one of the reasons I call myself "**_Akumi_**". A nickname for "**_Devil_**", a name I was given a long time ago when I was remembered and loved and hated. My shadow will only bring forth my true nature as I try to suppress it.

If you asked me; do you believe in a life after death?

While my mouth would say nothing, my mind would reply; isn't death just another form of an endless nightmare?

**_To be concluded_ **in the **_Epilogue_**.


	4. Epilogue

Author Note: This is the last chapter I will write on this story and it's also the epilogue to this archive. I really planed to get it out earlier but some one must really dislike me. Well, I won't start rambling like I almost always do, since this is the last chapter I won't hold you up for very long I just want to wish you a happy ending-reading with the supporting cliff-hanger that this story will always have. I had fun writing this story, even if the psychological parts were a bit hard and this story got really confusing even to me, it was really a challenge. I know I shouldn't be greedy but I hope you will review on this chapter as a parting gift. At least one is enough. And I will know I had a few readers in the end on this story. Then, happy reading or should I say... enjoy the nightmare!

Summary: There is a shadow coming closer to Konoha, a melody is filling the air as he draws closer. Destroyed memories are revived and healed wounds are torn open once again. Old hatred is revived and newfound bliss is forgotten. On the brink of insanity once again a battle between future and past starts. The frail pair of hands that hold onto each other are being pried apart by the unforgettable melody that killed them once before. The nightmare didn't end, it never will.

Pairing: None.

Genre: Mystery, angst, dark, supernatural, shounen, tragedy and much more

Ranting: T, but I would like to say T+ since I feel better with that setting on this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

The Bloody Dream... Never Ended  
Written by Monkan

Epilogue

In the dark room sat a figure, wrapped in a white kimono and silky white hair fell down the doll like face. Pale green eyes that shifted in a slight grey hue gazed at the vision before them. A small tender smile tugged the edges of the mouth and long eyelashes flickered over the lovely eyes. A red ribbon held together the white cloth and each hand was decorated with a simple golden chain, visibly thin but of great magnitude.

The pale eyes followed market and a single person that stood out in her eyes even though he couldn't be seen in the eyes of those around him. A tone of light-hearted flute melody filled the room and she felt the urge to dance to it.

She picked up the fan that laid on the armrest and stood gracefully up and walked to the middle of the room. In a beautiful and elegant rush of movements she broke out into dance. Her eyes kept contact with the boy in the vision as she moved about.

Her fan opened and revealed a dragon and tiger in battle as well as cherry blossom that covered the battle field. The pedals fell to the ground at her feet as she twirled around and swung her fan. The soft creation of nature and her fan covered the stone floor and the cold temperature it held from her bare feet.

If anyone saw her they would think she was an angel, especially when large white wings appeared on her back and stretched out gracefully as she lifted from the floor. She hovered over the floor for several minutes as she floated closer to the image of the boy. He had left the market and was moving down a lane that was devoured of people.

In a flash of golden eyes he looked right at her and the vision broke in a flare of flames and pedals of a violet color. The dark color seemed to stain the pink floor with the night. The room wasn't as cheerful as before and the girl with the wings was now standing by the far end of the room. A smile on her face, a horrible and amused smile. It wasn't anymore the smile of an angel but by something else. There was something that wasn't right with the way her eyes sparkled.

One of her hands reached out to touch the wall and the portrait that hanged there as her wings draped behind her back.

"You can run all you want. You can look all you want for the answer. But in the end you will not escape me." her sing song voice said.

Upon closer look on the portrait was an older image of her and the boy she had just looked at. His golden eyes and his hair shifted slightly from brown to dark blond and the face didn't smile, it was more like set in a grim grimace.

"I can wait for eternity, but..." her eyes gave an evil glint. "Will you live that long, Akumi?"

Her laughter sounded innocent to the ear and she looked like a fantasy creature, pure and beautiful but her shadow was anything but that as it stretched over the floor and laughed what even looked like an evil laughter.

The End!


End file.
